"Mother! Stop playing with him!" Iris shouted.
Damon raised a shaking hand to stop her, his lungs burning.
He had to be literal.
"I didn't forget you, Ophelia," Damon said, staring her dead in the eyes. "I just… don't know who you are."
"I don't have any memory of you. Not your voice. Not your touch. To me… today is the first time we've ever met."
The system over Ophelia's head flickered hard.
[TRUTH DETECTED]
Ophelia let out a long sigh, almost… shaken, and leaned back in her chair.
"'The first time we've ever met'…" she repeated, tasting the words. "How cruel."
Damon swallowed. 'Holy shit. It worked. The system accepted my ignorance as amnesia.'
Technically… he didn't fool her. He said he didn't know who she was.
"What a shame…" she purred. "I was hoping you'd lie, Zero. But that brutal honesty… It has its charm. It means you really are a blank slate."
Lieutenant Miller let out a nervous little laugh, breaking the tension.
"How… touching. The great 'God of War' admitting his brain is mashed potatoes in front of the Matriarch." He glanced at Ophelia. "Who would've thought?"
Damon clenched his teeth, feeling air finally return to his lungs.
'Miller, I swear one day I'm gonna shove that tie where the sun doesn't shine.'
"Shut up, Miller," Iris said. "At least he has the guts to admit his wounds. You're just a parasite living off the guild."
"Oh, come on, Captain. I'm just telling the truth. Zero let the entire Gamma Squad die three years ago for pure efficiency. That was a beautiful monster. What we have here…" He nodded at Damon. "…is a house pet that lost its fangs."
Ophelia watched the exchange with an amused smile, like she was watching ants fight.
But Damon was processing something worse.
'The system didn't flag a lie. Does the universe really accept Zero doesn't exist anymore?'
Iris stood up so fast she threw her napkin onto the table.
"That's it. I lost my appetite." She shot her mother a killing glare. "We're leaving, Zero."
"But, sweetie…" Ophelia sang. "We were just starting to have fun."
"I said we're leaving." Iris grabbed Damon by the arm and dragged him toward the exit. "I'm not letting you turn him into one of your 'projects'."
The elevator doors closed behind them, leaving a heavy silence at the private table.
Lieutenant Miller looked at his boss while refilling his wine glass.
"So, Lady Valen? Did he lie? Do I punish him for being insolent?"
Ophelia Valen stared at the empty chair where Damon had been sitting. She brought the glass to her lips, but didn't drink.
"No," Ophelia whispered. "There was no lie. But…"
"But?" Miller swallowed.
"That 'truth' he told… it tasted sweet." Ophelia ran her tongue over her lips, tasting the air. "It didn't taste like defeat, Miller. A broken man begs, cries, shakes, but he looked me in the eyes and gave me exactly what I wanted to hear, and yet his eyes… his eyes were screaming something else."
"Do you want me to eliminate him?"
Ophelia laughed.
"Eliminate him? Don't be stupid. You don't break a new toy before you even take it out of the box." Her expression darkened in a snap. "I want to know what else he's hiding under that 'victim' skin."
"Miller, watch him. I want to know where he goes, who he talks to, and what he eats. But listen to me…"
"If Iris gets too close and forgets her place…" Ophelia smiled, a shark smile. "Remind her who the Matriarch of this family is. Understood?"
"Y-yes, Lady Valen."
***
Once they were outside, safe in the armored car, Iris let out a shaky sigh.
"I'm so sorry, Zero."
"…Your mother is intense."
"'Intense' is an understatement. She… she collects strong things." Iris gripped the steering wheel.
"She always saw you as the ultimate weapon. Now that you look 'vulnerable,' she's curious. She wants to see if she can rebuild you in her image. It's… sick."
"It doesn't matter," Damon said, putting on his best poker face. "Storms pass. I'm still here."
"You're incredible, Zero. My mother terrifies generals from other nations with one look, and you didn't even blink." She smiled sadly. "I won't let her touch you."
"Thanks…" Damon nodded, even though inside he was thinking, 'Please take me home. I want to cry while hugging my pillow.'
When they reached the building, Iris didn't go up.
"I have to go back. If my mother starts pulling strings, I need to be there to cut them. Rest, Zero. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."
Damon slid a hand into his jacket pocket and his fingers brushed the cold, rusty metal of EVE.
The weapon vibrated against his palm.
It was hungry.
But when the elevator doors opened into his penthouse, "peace" was the last thing he found.
The place was cleared out. The furniture had been pushed against the walls.
Jude was sprawled in a corner, panting like he'd run a marathon.
And in the middle of the room stood Aiwass.
She was wearing human workout clothes that were too small, showing every muscle on her body.
"You're late, 'Hero'." Her voice wasn't mocking this time. It was serious. Military.
Damon took a step back.
"What… what happened here?"
"Your friend, the Rat, tried to explain the concept of 'taxes' to me," Aiwass said, pointing at Jude with disgust. "I got bored and used him as a punching bag. But now you're here."
Aiwass pointed at the wall clock.
"Ophelia Valen has her eye on you, right? I can smell her cheap 'dominatrix' perfume on your clothes from here."
"…You can smell that?"
"I can smell fear, Damon. And you stink of it." Aiwass stepped forward. "If you walk into Recertification like this, that woman will eat you alive, and not in the fun way."
"And… and what's your plan?"
"Plan? You've got the [Legislator's Eye]. You've got that cursed junk in your pocket that eats life. And you've got me."
Aiwass vanished.
BAM!
Damon got launched about ten feet back and slammed into the carpet, gasping for air.
The demon girl was already on top of him.
"Get up, insect."
A system window popped up in front of Damon.
[NEW MISSION: TRAINING HELL]
[Instructor: Aiwass (Unknown Rank)]
[Objective: Survive until dawn.]
[Failure Penalty: Broken bones and lost dignity.]
"You've got one week to stop being a fraud and turn into something that can at least survive a hit. Class starts now."